Cross-border travellers may notice drones and unmanned aerial vehicles around the Blue Water Bridge over the coming months as part of a Technology Pilot Zone program launched by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN).
The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) issued a notice over social media last week, advising people to also expect trucks moving in specific formations and CCTV cameras to monitor traffic patterns.
"There are no security concerns, and traffic will not be affected. We appreciate your cooperation as these exciting pilot projects move forward," read an FBCL Facebook post.
OVIN Head and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Business Development Raed Kadri said the Technology Pilot Zone program is designed to give Ontario-based small and medium sized enterprises an opportunity to pilot their advanced automotive and mobility technologies in real world environments.
The first intake went ahead after OVIN received funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario last year.
Kadri said currently, nine companies have been selected to work within the Blue Water Bridge area.
"The primary object is so that they can pilot their technology, show how their technology works, but also see if there's any improvements they need to make that last leg of commercialization and industrialization to market," he said.
While the specific companies and their innovations haven't been identified, Kadri said the objectives are to improve safety, reduce traffic wait times, and support Ontario's transportation goals, which includes the adoption of cleaner technologies.
The pilot and data collection process at the Blue Water Bridge is expected to continue on a staggered basis throughout the summer.
"The use of these drones, lidar sensors, and other tools will vary by project but are expected to remain in operation for several months as companies gather whatever data, do whatever testing that they need with the existing infrastructure so that they can refine their technologies for commercial use," Kadri said.
OVIN has also partnered with the City of Toronto as part of its urban piloting zone.
While the City of Windsor was included in funding announced last year, Kadri said there are only two pilot zones at this time (Blue Water Bridge and City of Toronto). Other OVIN programs, such as regional technology development sites, include Windsor-Essex, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, GTA, Durham Region, Ottawa, and northern Ontario.